When we talk about legacy, Brandy and Monica’s voices sit at the heart of innocence of Black girlhood and the strength of Black womanhood. But the true gift isn’t just the music—it’s the connection. ESSENCE: Your music has been the soundtrack to generations of Black girlhood and womanhood. What does it mean to know that your voices raised so many of us? Monica: I enjoy that more than music and melody, to be honest. Being connected to my people, if you look at my background, makes total sense. My connection to humanity, my connection especially to Black women—it is written in everything that I am. It’s written in everything that I’ve experienced. My mom has been the wife of a Methodist minister for almost five decades. And so all I saw her do was help people. When they couldn’t feed themselves: Go feed people. Stop by their homes. We sang to the sick and shut-in. Everything was about helping your people, and that was something that I kept with me. Read our Fall/Winter cover story a...